At Ease, At Last

Dallas Morning News ^ | 9 March 2010 | Bill Plaschke

[Vigilanteman]

Roy Gleason, the Dodger who batted 1.000 before being drafted and going off to Vietnam, is back in the fold

It has been 40 years, but he still remembers the pitch. The second pitch. The final pitch.

It was late September 1963. It was a low inside fastball. He lined it down the left-field line. He sprinted to second base. The crowd roared.

Inside a crisp new Dodger uniform, Roy Gleason's heart leaped.

He was 20, and after his first major league plate appearance, he was batting 1.000.

"I thought I was going to be a superstar," he remembered, and how was he to know?

[Vigilanteman]

Since Dallas Morning News is AP linked, I think it has to be excerpted. Kudos to a man who served and also played briefly for arguably the best Dodger team in the 1960's dynasty.

[robomatik]

maybe noone else will comment on your thread, but THAT is a good story!

"On one such mission, on July 24, 1968, a shell exploded out of a tree above him, tearing a hole in his left calf and left wrist. He kept fighting even though he couldn't walk, and blood was spurting from both wounds."

if i knew how to properly salute, i would salute this hero!

[AJ504]

Gosh, make an old guy tear up, will ya? As a long time baseball fan, I am SO glad the Dodger organization was classy enough to remember him... and that a chance meeting with someone who cared, brought him a smile in his heart.

[Vigilanteman]

I thought it was a great story. Willie Davis’ passing brought back memories of those great Dodger teams. Most people said the 1963 version was the best, so I looked up the team and saw one guy who batted 1.000 in 8 games and thought it rather stange that he ended his career like that. I had to find out the rest of the story.

[fkabuckeyesrule]

A touch of Moonlight Graham to this story.

[Tainan]

Thanks for posting this.